James “Eddie” Edward Donovan, age 90, of Louisville, passed away Thursday, September 7, 2017.  He was born July 5, 1927 in Akron, Ohio to the late Thomas and Ethel Donovan. He attended East Liberty and Annunciation grade schools in Akron and one year at Martin grade school in Canton. He then moved to Louisville and graduated from Louisville High School in 1945 and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He retired from the Canton Repository after 43 years. Eddie was a member of St Louis Catholic Church and a charter member of the Louisville K of C. He officiated basketball and also coached basketball with his best friend, Paul Menegay for the “Knight Hawks” at Saint Louis Grade School for many years.  He was an avid sports fan and took great pride in watching his grandchildren grow up and play sports. He was a huge Notre Dame fan.

Eddie was preceded in death by his step-father, Al Young; brothers, Don and Tom Donovan and sister, Louise Dengler.  He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Janet (Bowman) Donovan, whom he married on June 19, 1954; children, Valli Vanhoose, Duffy (Mary) Donovan, Kelleen (Jeff) Sankbeil, Polly Topp and Molly Reinhart; his sister, Anna Jule Whitmer; Brother-In-Law, Joel Bowman; Grandchildren, Joe and Katie Donovan, Kyle Sankbeil, Emily (Curtis) Elsass, Sarah (Elliot) Brunner, Natalie Topp, Connor, Colin and Clark Rinehart, David (Erin) Vanhoose, and Audra (Keith) O’Brien;  Great-grandchildren, Olivia, Brayden,  Jase, Zoey, Landon, Stevie Marie and Dewey. The family would like to extend a special thank you to Mercy Medical and Meadow Wind Health Care Center for their kind and compassionate care of Eddie.

A mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:30am Tuesday morning at St. Louis Catholic Church in Louisville with Fr. Robert Miller officiating. There will be no calling hours.  Burial, with military honors, will be in St. Louis Parish Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Louis Catholic Church, 300 N. Chapel St, Louisville, OH 44641. Online condolences may be left at www.stierisraelfuneralhome.com

                                                            Stier-Israel Funeral Home

                                                                        330-875-1414

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